Arc Raiders On Deaf Ears Quest: Complete Walkthrough

The On Deaf Ears quest in Arc Raiders sends you deep into Stella Montis to chase rumors of experimental hearing aids and a missing researcher. The mission is straightforward on paper, but the sprawling facility, overlapping interiors, and high enemy density make it very easy to get turned around or wiped before you extract. This guide walks you through each step with a clear route, practical survival tips, and answers to the most common questions players have about the quest.

Quest Overview: What On Deaf Ears Is Really About

On Deaf Ears is a multi-stage mission unlocked as part of the Headwinds content for Arc Raiders. Your handler, Lance, has been gathering reports of Raiders suffering hearing damage from ARC encounters and firefights. Rumors suggest a researcher on Stella Montis was developing prototype hearing aids and related tech before things went bad.

Your job is to track that researcher’s paper trail across several departments of the complex, recover their logs and research notes, then locate evidence that the prototypes were manufactured and shipped. Once you transmit everything back to Lance and successfully extract, the quest is complete.

The quest flows in a fixed order. Each objective appears after you complete the previous one, so you cannot skip ahead by visiting later areas first.

Preparation: Loadouts, Squad Setup, and Route Planning

Stella Montis is one of the more dangerous environments you’ll visit during your time with Arc Raiders. You’ll be dealing with interior firefights, open corridors that favor ranged enemies, and the constant threat of ARC units and hostile Raiders crossing your path. Planning before you drop in is key to surviving long enough to see the quest through.

Recommended Player Count and Approach

Although On Deaf Ears can be done solo by experienced players, it’s much safer with at least one teammate. Co-op shooters consistently show improved survival when players coordinate roles and communication, especially under high enemy pressure, as reflected in general co-op game design research that emphasizes shared situational awareness and role distribution.¹

• Solo: Bring a crowd-control option and high burst damage to escape bad pulls quickly.
• Duo: One mid-range damage dealer, one support/utility with healing or shields.
• Full squad: Divide roles into frontline, mid-range overwatch, and a flexible support.

Suggested Loadout Priorities

On Deaf Ears alternates between tight interiors and larger halls. Build your kit to adapt:

• Primary weapon: Accurate, mid-range rifle or DMR for crossing corridors and picking off threats at a distance.
• Secondary weapon: High DPS close-range option (SMG, shotgun) for room clears and sudden flanks.
• Explosives: Grenades or similar tools to break stalemates and clear clustered enemies.
• Defensive utilities: Healing items, deployable cover, or shields for prolonged fights.

Best Overall Route Through Stella Montis

The quest itself enforces the sequence of objectives, but you still have some freedom in how you move between them. The simplest path is:

1. Drop near or move toward the Lobby / Reception.
2. Shift to the Auditorium via connected corridors or via the Business Center path.
3. Cut across to Medical Research, using the Loading Bay as a connector when possible.
4. Push north into Assembly Workshops for the final objective, then extract at the nearest safe exit.

Because indoor navigation is complex, it helps to mentally treat the Lobby as your central hub. From there, the Auditorium lies to one side, while the Loading Bay leads you toward Medical Research and Assembly Workshops.

Step 1: Finding the Researcher’s Guest Logs

The first step is to identify that the researcher was officially present at Stella Montis and registered their stay. To do this, you’ll access a computer at Reception in the Lobby area.

Reaching the Reception Area

Once you arrive at Stella Montis and approach the Lobby point of interest, look for the main entrance that opens into a high-ceilinged central hall. Inside, you’ll typically see:

• An open ground floor with reception counters and waiting areas.
• Stairways or elevators leading to upper offices.
• Corridors branching out toward Security and other administrative sections.

Locating the Guest Log Computer

Head to the base level of the Lobby, where the reception desks sit. You’re looking for a usable terminal behind or on one of these counters. When you are close enough, an interaction prompt appears, allowing you to access the guest logs and transmit them to Lance.

Once the upload finishes, the quest journal updates and points you toward the researcher’s lecture notes.

Combat Tips for the Lobby

• Use pillars and counters for cover. The Lobby’s open design can expose you to crossfire if you stand in the center too long.
• Clear upper balconies if enemies spawn above; they have good angles on the ground floor.
• Watch for patrols moving in from connected wings like Security, especially during louder firefights.

Step 2: Tracking Down the Lecture Notes

The guest logs confirm the researcher’s presence, but not what they were doing. The second objective has you visit the Auditorium, where they gave a lecture related to their work. The goal is to retrieve notes from the terminal on the stage.

Navigating from Lobby to Auditorium

You can reach the Auditorium via several internal routes. A reliable approach is to move through the upper levels of the administrative wing and follow signage toward the Business or conference areas, which usually connect directly to the Auditorium entrances.

Finding the Correct Terminal Inside the Auditorium

Once inside, you’ll see a large presentation space with rows of seating facing a stage. The terminal you need is near the front, typically on or behind the lectern or stage desk. Approach the stage, and interact with the highlighted console to send the lecture notes back to Lance.

Managing Encounters Around the Auditorium

• Check the balcony and catwalks. Enemies perched above can fire down unobstructed.
• Avoid getting flanked by squads entering from side doors while you’re focused on the stage.
• Use the seating rows as partial cover, moving in a zigzag pattern while advancing or retreating.

With the lecture notes secured, the quest shifts from documentation to applied science: you’re heading into Medical Research next.

Step 3: Accessing Prototype Information in Medical Research

The third stage is where the researcher’s work turns from theory into hardware. You’ll fight your way into the Medical Research complex and locate a specialized machine that stores details about the hearing aid prototypes.

Reaching Medical Research from the Auditorium

The most direct route usually involves returning toward the Lobby and then cutting through the Loading Bay. The Loading Bay acts as a bridge between central administration and the more industrial parts of Stella Montis. From there, follow corridors and signage pointing to Medical Research; expect longer, more exposed hallways.

Identifying the Prototype Terminal

Medical Research tends to be multi-level, with labs, observation rooms, and storage areas. The terminal you need is not a standard office PC but a larger, more industrial-looking machine inside one of the main lab rooms. It’s easy to overlook because it doesn’t resemble a normal desk computer.

When you reach the relevant lab, look for:

• A larger console or machine bank positioned against the wall.
• Monitors and equipment bundled together, standing out from regular workstations.
• An interaction prompt indicating you can pull data on prototypes.

Interact with the machine, wait for the upload to complete, and you’ll learn that production moved beyond the lab phase to be handled in the Assembly Workshops.

Surviving Fights in the Research Labs

• Expect close-quarters engagements. Narrow corridors and small rooms reduce the effectiveness of long-range guns.
• Clear rooms slowly. Use doorways as choke points to stop enemies from overrunning you.
• Mind your flanks. Labs often connect in loops, meaning enemies can circle around if you push too aggressively.

Step 4: Recovering Shipping Logs from Assembly Workshops

The final step is to confirm that prototypes were manufactured and shipped. That evidence is stored as printed shipping logs in the Assembly Workshops, an industrial area north of Medical Research.

Moving from Medical Research to Assembly Workshops

Head toward the northern exits of the Medical Research complex, following signage or your map marker for Assembly Workshops. The two areas are often connected via industrial corridors or a short outdoor crossing. Enemy density can be high here, so conserve resources during the transition if you can.

Finding the Shipping Logs

Once you reach the Assembly Workshops, your target isn’t on the main factory floor. Instead, you’re looking for an upper-level office that overlooks the machinery. Inside that office, you’ll find a modest desk with a cardboard box or similar container.

• Locate stairways or metal catwalks leading up to the offices along the sides of the workshop.
• Enter the office overlooking the factory floor.
• Search the corners or shelves until you see the interaction prompt on the box containing the printed logs.

Interact with the box to collect the shipping logs. Once that’s done, the quest log confirms your objectives are complete and instructs you to extract and return to Lance.

Final Combat Considerations Before Extraction

• Don’t linger on the factory floor. It offers poor cover and many sightlines for enemies.
• Hold the office doorway if you need to stabilize and heal; it’s easier to funnel enemies through a single choke point.
• Plan your exit path before grabbing the logs, so you’re not hesitating while enemies close in.

Extracting Safely and Turning in the Quest

With all four objectives complete, your last task is to survive long enough to get out. Choose an extraction route that minimizes unnecessary combat; leaving through a nearby hatch or safer zone is preferable to trekking back through the most populated areas of Stella Montis.

Once you’re out, return to Speranza and speak with Lance to hand in the quest. He’ll acknowledge the data you recovered, and the storyline surrounding ARC-induced hearing damage and experimental remedies continues from there.

Quick Reference Checklist

• Reception computer in Lobby → guest logs
• Stage console in Auditorium → lecture notes
• Large lab machine in Medical Research → prototype data
• Cardboard box in upper office, Assembly Workshops → shipping logs
• Extract and talk to Lance in Speranza to finish

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to visit the locations in order?

Yes. While you can physically reach many parts of Stella Montis in any sequence, On Deaf Ears only updates when you complete objectives in the order given: Reception, Auditorium, Medical Research, then Assembly Workshops. Visiting later locations early will not progress the quest.

Can I complete this quest solo?

You can, but it’s risky. Stella Montis tends to spawn dense enemy packs, and the amount of ground you have to cover leaves lots of chances to get ambushed. Playing with at least one teammate drastically improves your odds of survival and makes holding interiors easier, in line with broader findings that cooperative play reduces individual failure rates under pressure.¹

What happens if I extract before finishing all objectives?

If you leave Stella Montis early, the quest saves the last completed step, but you’ll need to return to finish remaining objectives. For example, if you grab the guest logs and lecture notes but then extract, you still need to revisit Medical Research and Assembly Workshops on a later run.

Are there any missable rewards in On Deaf Ears?

The key reward is tied to completing the quest and advancing the storyline with Lance. There aren’t unique drops locked to specific enemies inside the facilities, so you won’t miss permanent items if you focus on speed and survival rather than full exploration.

What loadout is best for the whole mission?

A balanced build with a mid-range rifle and a strong close-quarters secondary works best. Because you’ll fight in both open lobby areas and tight lab corridors, flexibility is more valuable than hyper-specialization. Bring at least one method of area denial or crowd control to handle pushes in cramped hallways.

Final Thoughts

On Deaf Ears is less about one brutally difficult fight and more about maintaining focus across a long, multi-area run filled with smaller skirmishes. As long as you remember the sequence of locations, stick to a sensible route, and respect how dangerous the interiors of Stella Montis can be, you’ll walk away with the data Lance needs and a deeper glimpse into the human cost of fighting the ARC.